For nearly as long as vehicles such as automobiles and trucks have been driven, particularly over long distances on highways, the operators of such vehicles have suffered to a greater or lesser extent from aching backs. Such problems have generally occured because the anatomy of each operator of such vehicles is different, but the manufacturers of the vehicles have provided very little adjustment or control of the seat in which the operator sits, except as to height, inclination, tilt and distance from the controls of the vehicle. There has been generally very little attempt made to provide seats which adapt to the anatomy of the operator, and provide adequate spinal or lumbar support.
Indeed, operators of such vehicles as police cars and taxi cabs, trucks--particularly long distance haulers--and the like, are particularly inclined to suffer from sore backs because of the inadequate or improper support. However, because such vehicles may have a number of different operators, rather than the same person at all times, it is impractical to build and install in such vehicle a support which is particularly adapted to the anatomy of any particular operator. Further, the operators of such vehicles themselves may, from time to time operate different vehicles, and therefore require a support for their own person which would be readily and easily portable from vehicle to vehicle. (For purposes of the present discussion, operators of automotive vehicles are particularly considered; the present invention should not be construed to be applicable only to the classes of vehicle operators referred to above, but may extend to all persons requiring back or body support, where the requirements may change from time to time or where the support means itself should be portable from place to place.)
Accordingly, the present invention provides an inflatable seat cushion and body support which is such that it may be readily portable from place to place, and is such that its overall contour may be adapted to any particular desired contour, within limits, by control of the amount of inflation of a number of individually inflatable chambers which comprise the present inflatable seat cushion.
Thus, the present invention provides a seat cushion and body support which is inflatable and comprises a plurality of independent and individually inflatable chambers, where each of the plurality of chambers is secured to at least one other of the chambers for purposes of structural integrity and portablity. Means are provided for controlling the amount of inflation in each of the chambers, so that each chamber has a first valve means which connects the chamber to a pressure source of fluid for inflating the chamber, and conduit means for the fluid between the first valve means and the chamber, where the first valve means are closable for maintaining the fluid in the chamber at a desired amount of inflation thereof; and further, there are provided second valve means for each chamber which are in fluid communication with the conduit means--and therefore with the chamber--and which are operable to release fluid from the chamber in any amounts as may be desired.
In general, it is anticipated that the fluid which is used for inflating the individual chambers of the inflatable seat cushion would be air, and that the pressure source for the air would be a pump which may either be a manually operated or from within the vehicle itself. Other sources of pressure could be pressurized air from tanks therefor, or indeed the inflating fluid for the inflatable chambers could be a liquid such as water or hydraulic oil. In fact, with proper precautions, the inflating fluid could be exhaust gases or the like.
It follows from the above that, in order for the inflatable seat cushion to be easily controlled and operated, that it is particularly desirable to provide means whereby the amount of inflation of each of the individual chambers may be easily controlled; and yet, to provide such means economically and without excessive mass or weight. Accordingly, the present invention provides that all of the individual chambers of the seat cushion may be pressurized simultaneously, and thereafter, the desired contour of the seat cushion would be achieved by venting or dumping the pressurized fluid therefrom by operating a simple valve which is provided for that purpose. Alternatively, each of the chambers may be individually pressurized by operation and control of suitable valve means therefor. A particular feature of the present invention is, therefore, the provision of suitable valve means to accomplish the purposes of the invention easily and economically, and with ruggedness of construction as may be required.